Hall And Oates Fans For America -- now a Super PAC
Politicians running for president often borrow the tunes of famous musicians to spark the crowd's energy when they enter and exit campaign events. But how many bands get their names included in the title of a Super PAC, the political action committees now allowed to raise unlimited funds? Meet Hall and Oats Fans For America.
Hall And Oates Fans For America -- now a Super PAC
Chris Brennan
Politicians running for president often borrow the tunes of famous musicians to spark the crowd's energy when they enter and exit campaign events. But how many bands get their names included in the title of a Super PAC, the political action committees now allowed to raise unlimited funds?
Meet Hall and Oates Fans For America, a new Super PAC registered by Atlanta waiter William Hansmann with the U.S Federal Elections Commission Monday. Hansmann tells us the super PAC started as a joke between a handful of friends. He was amazed at how easy it was to register with the FEC.
"Who isn't a Hall and Oates fan in America?" Hansmann said when we asked how he came up with the name. "All those other super PACs have those ridiculously ambiguous names that any American would stand for if they didn't know what those PACs stand for."
Now that they're official, the super PAC is working on Hall and Oates parody videos about Mitt Romney, the Republican presumptive nominee for president. Hansmann, who says he plans for vote for President Obama, points to a pair of Hall and Oates songs, "Out of Touch" and "Rich Girl," as a good place to start.
Hansmann waits tables at Two Urban Licks, a touristy place he describes as "If Madison Square Garden was a restaurant." He says the new super PAC has no connection to the band.
Hall and Oates formed their musical alliance 40 years ago in Philadelphia. They attended Temple University at the same time.
UPDATE, 5:15 pm: As the New York Times noted on Monday, G.E. Smith is leading the house band for the Republican National Convention, which starts in Tampa on Monday. Smith played guitar for Hall and Oates in the 1980s and also led the Saturday Night Live house band.
Grr.. My original comment was only difference betw the candidates was o e was white and o e wishes he were.. And this bleep paper censored it..
— Ashburn072- "We Built This City" is a more-telling title, 'Al'.— Nostromo
- Philly singing legends Hall and Oates came from Philly from nothing, and made it, yes, they are now rich, and that is not a bad thing, it is a good thing. It shows in America, you can start out a nobody, but eventually become a somebody threw hard work. And when you get there, you should not be vilanized, you should be congratulated. Sucess is a good thing, not a bad thing.— Fred Druding, Jr.
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David Gambacorta spent a small eternity writing about cops, drug dealers and serial killers. Now he’s writing about power and politics – which sometimes reminds him of the old crime beat. He joined the Daily News in 2005. And yes, he knows you’re not quite sure how to pronounce his last name. E-mail tips to gambacd@phillynews.com
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Jan Ransom, a native New Yorker, joined the Daily News in 2010 after graduating from Howard University. She has since written about the difficulty of filing police complaints, tax deadbeats and life after violent home invasions. She joined the Daily News City Hall Bureau in 2011 and has plunged headfirst into reporting on administration budget battles and City Council shenanigans. E-mail tips to ransomj@phillynews.com
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Sean Collins Walsh is from Bucks County and went to Northwestern University. He joined the Daily News copy desk in 2012 and now covers the Nutter administration. Before that, he interned at papers including The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News and The Seattle Times. E-mail tips to walshSE@phillynews.com
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